Shirt Sleeve Construction

ABSTRACT

A long sleeve shirt construction that incorporates a stretch panel in the sleeve. The stretch panel extends part or all of the length of the sleeve. The stretch panel extends around a portion of the circumference of the sleeve either with a constant width or tapered and is positioned at the underside of the sleeve. Optionally, the sleeve includes a hold tab for retaining the sleeve in the rolled-up position.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to shirts, more particularly, to long shirt sleeves.

2. Description of the Related Art

Battle dress uniform (BDU) is a generic term that identifies fatigues used as the standard uniform for combat situations. BDUs are also used by other groups, such as US federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, that may work in tactical situations, such as the DEA and SWAT.

BDUs are typically made from fabrics including nylon/cotton blends, polyester/cotton blends, 100% cotton, and polyester/rayon blends. In addition, the fabrics may be treated so they are fire-retardant.

BDU shirts are made with long sleeves. Typically, the sleeve is wider at the shoulder than at the cuff. When the weather changes, wearers must take the shirt off in order to roll the sleeve up or down because the rolled material gets too tight around the bicep. Because the cuff is narrower than the upper part of the sleeve, the sleeve material is bunched under the cuff when rolled up, constricting the wearer's upper arm.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a long sleeve shirt construction that incorporates a stretch panel in the sleeve. The stretch panel allows the sleeve to stretch its circumference so the sleeve can be quickly rolled up or down.

The stretch panel extends either the full length of the sleeve or along only part of the length of the sleeve. The stretch panel extends around a portion of the circumference of the sleeve and is wide enough so that the sleeve can be rolled easily without causing constriction at the upper arm. The width of the stretch panel is generally constant, but can taper from one end to the other. Typically, the stretch panel is on the underside of the sleeve.

The stretch panel is composed of a fabric that can stretch a significant percentage of its length, such as stretch knits and woven fabrics with mechanical stretch or that contain chemical power stretch yarns.

Optionally, the sleeve includes a hold tab for retaining the sleeve in the rolled up position. The tab is attached to the inside of the sleeve. A removable fastener secures the tab to the sleeve or shoulder.

Objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the following drawings and detailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a shirt with a set-in sleeve incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a shirt with a raglan sleeve incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of the underside of the shirt sleeve of the present invention showing alternate configurations;

FIG. 4 is a view of the underside of the shirt sleeve of the present invention showing alternate configurations;

FIG. 5 is a view of the underside of the shirt sleeve of the present invention showing alternate configurations; and

FIG. 6 is a front, cross-sectional view of the shirt sleeve of the present invention rolled up with the optional hold tab.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention incorporates a stretch panel 38 into a BDU or other shirt long sleeve 12. BDUs are typically made from fabrics including nylon/cotton blends, polyester/cotton blends, 100% cotton, and polyester/rayon blends. In addition, the fabrics may be treated so they are fire-retardant.

The stretch panel 38 allows the sleeve 12 to stretch its circumference so the sleeve 12 can be quickly rolled up or down. This is particularly important when it is impractical to remove the shirt 10 in order to roll the sleeve 12 up or down.

Also, instead of having a very bulky roll at the bicep when the wearer rolls the long sleeve up, the stretch panel 38 allows the sleeve 12 to be tapered so that the roll is minimized and barely wider than the arm at the bicep.

Example long sleeve shirts 10 incorporating the present invention are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the shirt with set-in sleeves of FIG. 1, the shirt torso 14 consists of a pair of front portions 16, a yoke 18 over the shoulders, a back portion 20, and a collar 22. A front placket 24 has buttons, hook and loop fasteners, or other fastener for closing the front of the shirt 10. Sleeves 12 attach to the torso 14 at the shoulder 32 by a shoulder seam 34 and extend from the shoulder seam 34 to a cuff 28.

In the shirt with raglan sleeves of FIG. 2, the shirt torso 14 consists of a pair of front portions 16, a back portion 20, and a collar 22. A front placket 24 has buttons, hook and loop fasteners, or other fastener for closing the front of the shirt 10. Sleeves 12 attach to the torso 14 by a raglan seam 44 from the underarm to the collar 22. The sleeves 12 extend from the collar 22, over the shoulder 32, to a cuff 28.

The sleeve 12 has sleeve placket (gauntlet) 46. The cuff 28 can be closed by a fastener 30, such as hook-and-loop fasteners as in FIG. 1, buttons as in FIG. 2, snaps, hooks, zippers, etc.

The stretch panel 38 typically extends most of the length of the sleeve 12, from the shoulder or raglan seam 34, 44 to the cuff 28 at 36, as in FIGS. 1-4. Optionally, the stretch panel 38 extends along only part of the length of the sleeve 12. For example, the stretch panel 38 can extend part way to the cuff 28 from the shoulder seam 34, part way to the shoulder seam 34 from the cuff 28, as in FIG. 5, or it can be positioned between the shoulder seam 34 and cuff 28 without reaching either one.

The width of the stretch panel 38, the amount that it extends around the circumference of the sleeve 12, is wide enough so that the sleeve can be rolled easily without causing constriction at the upper arm. The width of the stretch panel 38 ranges from approximately 1½ inches to approximately 10 inches but typically less than half of the circumference of the sleeve 12. The width of the stretch panel 38 is generally constant, as in FIG. 3. The term “generally constant” takes into account that there can be some variation in the width of the stretch panel 38 due to tolerances in manufacturing, the difference in sleeve circumference at the shoulder 32 and at the cuff 28, and other such variables. The present invention also contemplates that the width of the stretch panel can taper between the shoulder 32 and cuff 28, either larger at the shoulder 32 or larger at the cuff 28, as in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The stretch panel 38 can be located anywhere around the circumference of the sleeve 12, but will typically be on the underside of the sleeve 12, as in the figures, where it is least visible.

The main portion 42 of the sleeve 12 extends over the remainder of the sleeve, that is, the portion of the length and circumference of the sleeve that the stretch panel 38 does not extend over.

The present invention contemplates that the stretch panel 38 may be composed of many different fabrics, as long as the fabric has a reasonable amount of stretch. “Stretch fabric” refers to a fabric that expands a significant percentage of its rest length and returns to its rest length when tension is released. There are two basic types of stretch fabrics, those with mechanical stretch alone and those containing spandex or similar chemical power stretch yarns. Contemplated chemical stretch fabrics include polyester/spandex, nylon/spandex, and cotton/spandex, where spandex is a minor component. The panel material ranges from a minimum weight of approximately 2.5 oz per square yard to a maximum of approximately 12.5 oz per square yard.

The stretch panel 38 is attached to the main portion 42 of the sleeve 12 by any type of seam 40 that is appropriate for the materials of the main portion 42 and stretch panel 38. Examples include a four or five thread overlock safety stitch, a single needle lockstitch, a lap felled, welt, or french seam, and/or a flat undergarment seam type (lap seam with coverstitch).

Optionally, the sleeve includes a hold tab 50 for retaining the sleeve 12 in the rolled up position, as in FIG. 6. The tab 50 is a length of material attached to the inside of the sleeve 12 or shoulder 32 that is accessible when the sleeve 12 is rolled up. A removable fastener 52 secures the tab 50 to the sleeve 12 or shoulder 32. One component 54 of the fastener 52 is at the free end 58 of the tab 50 and the mating component 56 is on the outside of the sleeve 12 or shoulder 32. The removable fastener 52 can be any type of removable fastener, including buttons, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, etc. The tab 50 and/or sleeve 12 or shoulder 32 can have multiple fastener components 54, 56 so that the tab 50 is adjustable to different rolled-up sleeve lengths.

Thus it has been shown and described a shirt sleeve construction which satisfies the objects set forth above.

Since certain changes may be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matter described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shirt comprising: (a) a torso and a pair of long sleeves extending from the torso at a shoulder, the torso having a front fastener, each of the sleeves having a length from the shoulder to a free end, a sleeve gauntlet, a cuff at the free end, a circumference, and an underside, and being composed of cotton, cotton blends, polyester blends, or rayon blends; (b) each of the sleeves having a main portion and a stretch panel, the stretch panel extending from the shoulder to the free end and over a portion of the circumference, the main portion extending over the remainder of the sleeve, the stretch panel composed of a stretch fabric.
 2. The shirt of claim 1 wherein the stretch panel is positioned on the underside of the sleeve.
 3. The shirt of claim 1 wherein the portion of the circumference of the sleeve extended over by the stretch panel has a generally constant width.
 4. The shirt of claim 1 wherein each of the sleeves tapers from the shoulder to the free end.
 5. The shirt of claim 1 wherein the stretch fabric is composed in part of spandex.
 6. A shirt comprising: (a) a torso and a pair of long sleeves extending from the torso at a shoulder, the torso having a front fastener, each of the sleeves having a length from the shoulder to a free end, a sleeve gauntlet, a cuff at the free end, a circumference, and an underside, and being composed of cotton, cotton blends, polyester blends, or rayon blends. (b) each of the sleeves having a main portion and a stretch panel, the stretch panel extending from the shoulder to the free end and over a portion of the circumference with a generally constant width, the stretch panel positioned on the underside of the sleeve, the main portion extending over the remainder of the sleeve, the stretch panel composed of a stretch fabric composed in part of spandex.
 7. The shirt of claim 6 wherein each of the sleeves tapers from the shoulder to the free end. 